Dispensing of Oral Antiviral Drugs for Treatment of COVID-19 by Zip Code-Level Social Vulnerability - United States, December 23, 2021-May 21, 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated long-standing inequities in the social determinants of health (1-3). Ensuring equitable access to effective COVID-19 therapies is essential to reducing health disparities. Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) are oral antiviral agents effective at preventing hospitalization and death in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk* for progression to severe COVID-19 when initiated within 5 days of symptom onset.

Motivators of Continued Participation in Public Health Emergency Response Among Federal Public Health Workers: A Qualitative Study.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that motivate public health workers to deploy to the field during an emergency event. We conducted 25 semistructured interviews with employees at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of whom had deployed to the field for the 2014-2016 Ebola, 2016-2017 Zika, and 2017 hurricane responses. We used a grounded theory approach in our analysis of the data.

Factors That Affect Emergency Responder Wellbeing: Considerations for Public Health Responders.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify key risk factors that could negatively affect public health emergency responders' health and wellbeing. We seek to use this information to provide recommendations and strategies to mitigate such risks.

Design/methodology/approach: A narrative review of the peer-reviewed literature on wellbeing of military personnel and other responders was conducted.

Applying the Ready, Willing, and Able Framework to Assess Agency Public Health Emergency Preparedness: The CDC Perspective.

Public health emergencies in the United States have been complex, frequent, and increasingly costly in the past decade, at times overwhelming government agencies that are primarily resourced for routine, nonemergency health functions. Emergencies are not always predictable, and adequate resources are not always available to prepare staff in advance for emergency response roles and to mobilize them quickly when a new threat emerges. Additionally, real-world data that connect preparedness levels to response outcomes may be difficult to obtain, further limiting continuous quality improvement efforts by public health officials.

Immunization information systems to increase vaccination rates: a community guide systematic review.

Context: Immunizations are the most effective way to reduce incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunization information systems (IISs) are confidential, population-based, computerized databases that record all vaccination doses administered by participating providers to people residing within a given geopolitical area. They facilitate consolidation of vaccination histories for use by health care providers in determining appropriate client vaccinations.

Health plan use of immunization information systems for quality measurement.

Objective: To evaluate a health plan's business case for using a state immunization information system (IIS) as the primary data source for members' immunization histories.

Study Design: Case study of Priority Health, a Michigan managed care organization, to investigate use of IIS data for Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) compliance, quality measurement, and a provider incentive program.

Methods: Primary data were collected through key informant interviews and group discussions with Priority Health and IIS managers.